


Drowning Love

by Miora



Category: Gorillaz
Genre: Angst, Blood, Confusion, Drinking, Drowning, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Sorry, Like really really slow, M/M, Phase Three (Gorillaz), Physical Abuse, Self-Hatred, Slow Burn, Slow To Update
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-07-24 00:45:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16170125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miora/pseuds/Miora
Summary: This was very amusing to Murdoc, watching his singer trying to escape and fail miserably every single time. He never tried to stop him, knowing there was no use to it. He just needed to wait for him to get washed back on the beach to pick him up and lock him back in his underwater prison, 2D pleading to let him go. But Murdoc never listened, so 2D would just try again and again and again until he was finally free.And he wouldn't fail this time.





	1. 2D's Escape Plan

**Author's Note:**

> Hello ^^
> 
> This is my first work on this platform (not my first fanfiction tho but still) and also my first work in English !
> 
> I initially wrote the text in French and then asked a friend to translate it into English.
> 
> English is not my or my translator's mother tongue so please go easy on us ^^
> 
> Hope you'll enjoy it haha

The first time he tried to escape, he hadn't had a plan. He just jumped into the water and swam as fast as he could, just to get out of energy after a few minutes and get washed back on the beach. 

The second time, he managed to steal an inflatable life raft. But these things weren't really resistant and it only took Murdoc one bullet to get him back on the island.

The third time, Murdoc had burnt down anything that looked like a boat or raft, as a precautionary measure. So he tied down some wooden planks he found laying around, hoping it would float. And of course, it didn't. As soon as he set a foot on it, it sank, and he was back to square one.

This was very amusing to Murdoc, watching his singer trying to escape and fail miserably every single time. He never tried to stop him, knowing there was no use to it. He just needed to wait for him to get washed back on the beach to pick him up and lock him back in his underwater prison, 2D pleading to let him go. But Murdoc never listened, so 2D would just try again and again and again until he was finally free.

And he wouldn't fail this time.

He somehow managed to steal four tires and some rope, hoping he could build a boat that wouldn't sink this time. He hid everything outside, near the back door, where he planned to sneak out and finally escape.

He just needed to wait for the right timing.

 

*****

 

Murdoc was in his room, drinking and looking at the horizon when Cyborg came in to inform him of 2D new escape plan.   
_"Such a stubborn idiot"_ , he thought, looking down at the beach. _"At least he didn' do it in plain sight this time_. _"_

He started walking down the stairs slowly. He wasn't in a rush, this was just another one of 2D's stupid plans. He just came down to laugh at him and pick him up.

2D just finished tying up his 'boat' when Murdoc appeared behind him.

"Oi ! Watcha doin' Faceache ?"

Murdoc grinned as he saw 2D flinch at his sight and hurry to get his escape plan in the water. The bluenette rapidly jumped on it and kicked himself away from the shore. 

"Come back, yer only gonna get yourself hurt", Murdoc shouted at him with a wide grin, amused by his singer's perseverance.

"Fuck ya, I'm never gonna come back !", he yelled back, satisfied he could give him a piece of his mind before leaving forever.

But the moment 2D turned around, a big wave hit him hard and dragged him into the cold water. Murdoc just busted out laughing at that.

"Yer such an idiot sometimes Dents! Ya stupid boat didn' even float!"

He continued laughing for a while, trying to calm himself down, until he noticed that 2D actually never came back to the surface.

 

"Faceache?", he asked, still grinning widely.

 

"..."

 

" 'D?", he tried again, more seriously this time, getting more and more worried.

 

"..."

 

" **STUART !** ", he yelled, rushing to the water.

 

That's when it hit him.

Most of the land around the island was composed of sand, a smooth beach sinking gradually deep into the water. But the rest of it was actually just a shore made out of rocks and metal, going straight down to the bottom of the ocean. That's where he build the dock for his submarine.

Murdoc kneeled down on the small dock, assiduously looking for his much-needed singer. He caught a glimpse of blue hair and didn't need more to jump right into the water to save him.

 

*****

 

2D felt really heavy. The wave pushed him onto a rock, hitting his head hard. He saw the blue of the ocean mixed with the red of his blood, dancing wonderfully in the water. He felt the oxygen leave his lungs as his surrounding grew darker and darker. He could still see small sun rays, breaking through the surface. 

Is this how it's going to end? Was this his only escape? 

 _"I made it"_ , he thought, smiling as he let the water fill his body. " _Maybe I'll see Noodle again"_ , he smiled at that thought. 

That's when he saw it. A dark figure surrounded by bright sunlight, dragging him back to the surface. But it was too late and everything went black.

" 'D?! Can ya hear me?!", he yelled, shaking him a little.

He put 2D on his back to check his state. His pulse was very low and he wasn't breathing. 

" **Fuck !** "

Murdoc was panicking. He immediately started doing CPR on the bluenette yelling at him to come back and that he would kill him if he left him alone on this island. 

He did it for a few seconds before thinking of something vital. Oxygen: he needed oxygen. His lungs were probably full of water. So Murdoc his mouth on 2D's, blowing air into his lungs. He did it a couple times until 2D started coughing out the water by himself.

Murdoc felt relieved as the bluenette slowly regained consciousness. He helped his singer get in a sitting position, holding him as he coughed out the last drops of water.

"What were ya thinkin' !? You Dullard ! Ya almost died ! Fucking hell !", he shouted at him.

2D's whole body was numb, he couldn't do anything. He heard Murdoc yell words at him but he didn't process them, he was too exhausted.  His lungs burned with every breath and he was cold.

He heard a faint sigh and saw Murdoc close his eyes. He reopened them after a few seconds and then smiled slightly.

"Let's get ya inside, 'k ?", he heard him say with a soft voice he never heard before.

He felt his body getting lifted from the floor and everything went black again.


	2. Recovery

When 2D woke up, he was afraid to open his eyes. Afraid to wake up in his underwater prison, with that whale and Cyborg Noodle constantly watching him. But his surroundings weren't cold and hard, no, they were warm and soft. The air wasn't salty and the walls moist. It felt nice.

He pushed himself up from what he thinks might be a bed to get in a sitting position, eyes still closed. He waited for a couple of seconds before daring to open them. He immediately got blinded by a very bright light.

"Am I dead ? Am I in Heaven ?", he asked out loud.

"Nope, but ya almost made it", said a familiar voice from behind him.

2D turned around his head spinning and his vision completely blurry. He could only see a blurry figure near what seemed like a blurry door. This room was really too bright for his poor damaged eyes.

Murdoc entered the room and put something he couldn't identify on the small bedside table next to him.

"Where am I ?", the bluenette asked.

"Obviously in a bed ya idiot"

"Yeah, I know, but where ?", he insisted, regretting running his mouth because he might annoy the green man.

Murdoc rolled his eyes before answering. "In my room."

And 2D went silent. He was in Murdoc's room ? How ? Why ? Since they were alone on this island he wouldn't let anyone in his room. Him at last. He broke out of his thoughts when he heard Murdoc was asking him something.

"Yer feelin' better ?", the satanist harshly repeating his question for the third time.

"Y-yeah", 2D stuttered, a little intimated by his tone.

"Good"

And then silence. Only rattling and glass hitting porcelain noises could be heard.

"What is it ?", 2D asked carefully. Getting beat up was clearly not his priority right now.

"Made ya breakfast even tho it's already 4 pm. Got ya pancakes and peppermint tea"

2D just nodded, the room becoming less and less blurry as his vision got accustomed. And he could see that Murdoc didn't lie, on a tray, there was a plate with a pile of pancakes on it with syrup on top of it and a nice steaming cup of peppermint tea. He carefully picked up the plate and took a bite.

"Delicious", he just said already taking another bite.

"Of course they are, made them myself !", he laughed.

"I didn' know ya knew how to cook", the bluenette answered with his mouth full.

"Ya wouldn' eat if I didn' cook !"

2D was shocked, he always assumed never gave a damn about him and Cyborg Noodle had to care of everything. Since he was locked away most of the time and it was always Cyborg Noodle that bought him what he needed, he didn't really know what the satanist did with his time.

Well, apparently, writing lyrics, getting drunk, beat him and then cook for him. Surely in that order.

2D smiled at that thought, Murdoc trying to take care of him even though he locked him in his basement in the first place. That made him very happy, not the 'locked in the basement' part of course, the 'happy Murdoc cooking' part. Now he wondered what Murdoc looked like when he was cooking. "Does he wear an apron ?", the singer asked himself. He blushed slightly imagining it.

2D admired Murdoc. Yes, he is an asshole, a satanist, selfish, crazy, rude and a lot more. But 2D didn't care, he still admired him without really knowing why actually.

"I must be crazy to stay with probably the most hated man on earth", he thought.

They were sitting next to each other on the bed, a satanist and a singer from a very famous band enjoying the silence together.

Murdoc watched the horizon as 2D slowly sipped his tea. This felt weird. Murdoc was calm, too calm. Maybe he was waiting until he finished his tea to throw him back in his cell. The longer he took to drink, the longer he could stay here.

But Murdoc could also get impatient and would start hitting him.

Shivers went down his spine as he noticed that the cup was now empty. He carefully put it back on the tray and waited.

But nothing happened, Murdoc didn't move a bit.

He had closed his eyes, probably enjoying the warmth of the sun. 2D relaxed a little, gathering all his courage, breaking the silence, to ask a question he had on his mind since he woke up.

"What happened ?", he asked, a bit nervous.

"Whatcha mean ?", the green man asked back.

"I m-mean when I tried to escape", he stuttered.

"Ya don' remember almost dyin' ? Whatcha got ? Amnesia ?" He looked at him, brows frowned in confusion.

"Well, I kinda lost my memory", he answered, touching his skull where he remembered hitting his head. He expected an open wound, still bleeding a little, but instead felt a bandage he hadn't noticed before.

He didn't forget everything, he just didn't have all the pieces of the puzzle. Pieces came and went like a flash randomly. Maybe it won't last and he will get his memory back. Murdoc sighed and looked away.

"Ya tried to build a boat out of tires, told me to go fuck myself and then almost drowned", he chuckled.

2D shivered as he got a flashback. He could feel the cold of the water creep on his skin as darkness surrounded him.

"Ya were dyin' when I brought ya back to land but I managed to keep ya alive"

2D got more and more pieces together, still not everything but he progressed.

"Thank you", he said softly.

"We would be just a bunch of musicians without ya mate, yer our frontman after all !", he laughed.

"Noodle can sing"

"Nah, that's not the same"

Yeah, it wasn't the same since Noodle died. He saw the crash, he saw the island fall from the sky. Noodle was dead. He lost a bandmate, a friend, a sister. Nothing will ever be the same without her.

"What're ya cryin' for Faceache ?"

"... Do ya think Noodle is still alive ? Are she and Russel still out there somewhere ?", he asked, silent tears rolling down his cheeks.

Murdoc shot him an angry look. "Of course they are ! Noodle's always been a fighter, a strong and independent little girl ! And Russel, well, he's just Russel. He's probably fine."

"... How do ya know ?", he looked up.

"I just know"

They stared at each other for a while, the sun already going down. Murdoc was the one to look away first, grabbing his pack of cigarettes from his back pocket.

"Ya want one ?", he proposed already handing him one.

"Nah, not a good idea right now"

"If ya say so", he shrugged as he put them back in his pocket.

He took a few drags before standing up. 2D'S gut twisted. He knew what that meant: recover's over. And he didn't want to go back down.

"Please don' ! I don' want to go back into this cold and moist cell ! I-I just can' stand it anymore, please !", he pleaded, heart pounding loudly in his chest and blood rushing through his veins.

"Yer not goin' back down ya idiot ! Ya stayin' here", he said, annoyed.

"W-what ?"

"Listen, this room and the basement are the only rooms with locks on them. Even the bathroom doesn' have one ! And I wanna make sure yer not goin' anywhere."

2D was startled. Not only was Murdoc not throwing him back in his cell, but he was also letting him sleep in his room.

This was surrealistic.

"A-are ya sure ?!"

"Yeah yeah, I'll get ya something to cover yourself. Yer sleepin' on the couch"

And Murdoc left the room. As he closed the door, locking 2D inside, he let himself slide down to the ground.

"What am I doin' ?"


	3. Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long for me to post, been very busy with school and all --'
> 
> Well, it doesn't matter now since I'm back with a very long chapter (2614 words (*o * ))
> 
> Hope you enjoy it ^^

 

"Here, that should do it", Murdoc said, handing his singer a blanket and a pillow.

"Thank you", 2D responded softly.

Murdoc grumbled at that. The bluenette shouldn't thank him, he gave him no reason to. He stepped away, watching 2D make himself comfortable. He was about to leave when the other man stopped him.

"W-wait !", he was playing with his shirt nervously.

"What ?", the satanist asked, somewhat annoyed.

2D looked shyly away. "U-um, can ya leave the lights on..?", he stuttered, "I'm a bit scared to sleep in the dark right now..."

"How old are ya ? Five ? Go hide under the covers ya chicken !", he laughed. "And don' ya dare leave that room or I'll punch out the rest of ya teeth !"

He slammed the door, practically spitting out the last words, and went away, leaving his frontman in the darkness. 2D jumped on the couch and immediately hid his face under the blanket. He tried to ignore the chilling cold creeping on his skin and hoped he would fall asleep soon. After a while, the world around him went black.

 

*****

 

He didn't know how much time passed but when 2D opened his eyes again he could feel that something was off. He looked around and noticed that he wasn't in Murdoc's room anymore. He started panicking.

He was back in his cell, back underwater.

And he could hear that that sodding whale was lurking. 

He stood up too quickly and fell backward against the cold and moistened metal. He felt like a pressure on his head and every sound was echoing through his brain. He picked himself up and ran around frantically, inspecting every inch of the walls, trying to find an exit. But there was no door, no window and no hope to get out. 

He screamed at the top of his lungs, hoping for someone to come and save him. But no one came. He was alone.

He stood in the middle of the room, hands pressed on his eyes, praying for it to end. The pressure increased drastically and he couldn't think properly anymore.  Everything was silent, only the sound of the water could be heard. He was shaking as he could still hear his own screams bounce against the walls of this nightmarish trap he was in. He just stood there, listening to the world around him and trying to forget it.

Suddenly a loud popping sound broke the peaceful silence, and another one, and then another one. He jumped at the sounds and stared wide-eyed at his surroundings. Holes were popping from the walls, letting the cold water flood in. He rushed and tried to cover them with his bare hands but there were too many. And in no time, his head had already sunk under the surface.

And his cage of metal exploded into thousands of pieces. 

Now he was floating in the deep and dark ocean. Moving his limbs was difficult and every movement drained his energy. There was no sign of life wherever he looked as he slowly froze to death. He tried to reach the surface, but the more he swam up, the deeper he sank. 

Until the light disappeared completely.

Darkness, only darkness around him. He couldn't breathe. So cold. In the corner of his eyes, he could see a figure moving towards him. He turned around and spotted the whale. It was hungry and seemed determined to finally get him as his meal. 

He wanted to move, to get away from it, but his body didn't obey. He was paralyzed for fear. The whale came closer and closer, mouth wide open. And then swallowed him whole.

 

*****

 

2D woke up screaming and sweating on the floor.  He had fallen from the couch while sleeping. He stood up quickly and started walking up and down the room frantically. He had a tight grip on his blue hair, almost ripping them out, as tears streamed down his face. 

He needed to get out of here. Now.

He opened the door, which, fortunately, wasn't locked, and started running. The plastic villa on this tiny island wasn't very big, but in his state, everything felt huge and distant. The corridors and doors were stretched out and 2D ran around like he was in a maze. At this point, he didn't even know who or what he was running from anymore. Everything around him just looked like a blurry mess.

Until he came to a stop.

He was in front of a wall. On it only one door. He wrapped his long fingers around the knob and tried to turn it. Locked. 2D started crying again, alone in an empty hall. He curled himself into a ball and hid his face between his knees.

He was at point Nemo of the world. He was alone.

 

*****

 

"What was that ?"

Murdoc swore he heard someone walking around the house. He listened closely but heard nothing so he went back to his occupation.

He was busy repairing Cyborg in his personal workshop. Because of the moist and salty air of the oceanic environment, Cyborgs fragile electronics very easily damaged or short-circuited. So he had to check on her almost daily.

"Useless piece of garbage", he grumbled as he removed her batteries to access the core.

Cyborg was his eyes and ears on this island, without her, anybody could enter without being noticed. She was supposed to patrol the place and look after 2D, but in this state, she was useless. Which means he was an easy target for whoever wants him dead.

Suddenly, he heard someone in the halls again, but this time the sound was growing louder as if something was coming closer. The footsteps were hectic and fast. Because of the echoing, he couldn't identify how many persons were out there.

Maybe it was the Boogieman or the pirates, coming to claim his soul.

The footsteps came closer and closer, before coming to a halt. There was definitely someone behind that door.

Murdoc gulped as he slowly drew away from the door.

It was completely silent for what seemed like hours and his heart kept beating faster and faster.

But the first thing that popped in his mind at this exact moment wasn't his imminent death. No, his number one concern right now, was 2D.

He was locked inside a tiny room with a defective Cyborg and Death at his door and all he was worried about was his blue-haired idiot being injured or even dead.

A chill went down his spine.

He shook his head, what was he thinking ? Since when did he care for that stupid long-legged dullard ? He really had better things to do right now.

He grabbed a gun from the drawer next to him (he was always prepared for the worst) and pointed it at the door. The knob turned slowly to the left and then to the right. But nothing happened. No banging or door-breaking. Everything was silent.

Suddenly, too familiar sobs could be heard on the other side. Murdoc sighed and put his gun back in the drawer before he went to the door.

He was relieved, yes, but mostly pissed. First, 2D didn't obey and left his room without permission, second, he scared the shit out of him and third, he didn't know why he was worried about this moron. Yes, 2D was his frontman and all that, but he didn't like the fact that this made him weak.

Murdoc clenched his teeth from anger and stepped outside the room only to see that his singer had curled himself into a ball in the corner.

"Watcha doin' here ?!", he growled as his hands closed into fists.

"I-I had a nightmare and it was so c-cold and d-dark, I w-was so scared", the tall man cried as he stood up.

"I told ya to stay in that room !", he yelled.

"I-I know but-", he started pleading.

Suddenly, Murdoc grabbed 2D by his neck and slammed him against the wall. He squeezed his throat so that he couldn't breathe properly. Long nails dig into the bluenette's sensitive skin, leaving small but deep cuts, as he slowly turned purple.

"Don't ya dare disobey again", the satanist said in a deep and menacing voice, detaching every word of his sentence to make sure it was clear.

2D choked something out that sounded like a "sorry" and, as soon as the other let him go, he ran faster than ever back from where he came from.

Murdoc waited until the footsteps fainted, listening to the new silence. He clenched his teeth again as his body boiled with rage. But he wasn't mad at 2D, no, but at himself.

He punched the wall again and again until the hand that dared hurt his bandmate was bleeding badly.

The wall and clothes were now painted in a deep red as the anger faded, replaced by despair.

He placed his forehead on the wall. Blood trailed down his face but he didn't care.

He had no choice, 2D was still his prisoner after all. He had to remind him of that and hurt him if necessary. If he didn't show him what awaits him if he disobeyed, he would leave.

2D pleaded every day for his freedom, but Murdoc just couldn't let him go.

"I'm so fucking weak", he whispered to himself.

Of course, he cared about that black-eyed idiot. He was not only important to him because he was his frontman and bandmate, no, there's always been something else.

"So fucking pathetic..."

 

*****

 

2D ran as fast as he could, even if he was out of breath. Because of the fact that he almost choked to death, the world was constantly spinning and turning. He fell down a lot and hit some walls before he finally found his way back.

As soon as he reached the door, he slammed it behind him. He walked to the desk on the other side of the room and sat on the chair to calm down.

His head hurt like hell and he sensed little drops of blood sliding down his neck. He could still feel Murdoc's hand pressing his throat, squeezing the life out of his frail body. He carefully passed a finger around the edges of the wounds, wiping the blood away, but every touch just made the pain worse.

He was such an idiot.

How could he believe that there was still some good in Murdoc ? How could he even think there could be some warmth in the other's man cold heart ? There was nothing, this man was a heartless bastard.

2D was so angry right now that he grabbed the first thing he saw and threw it across the room without thinking furthermore. Papers flew around in the air, falling slowly to the ground. Watching the mess he created, he realized he just threw one of Murdoc's files.

 

****Shit**** **_._ **

 

2D panicked as he hurried to pick everything up. The Satanist would kill him if he knew the bluenette touched his stuff without being allowed to. He put the papers neatly back in the folder and put everything back on the desk.

That's when he noticed it. A black notebook. To be more specific, it was 'Murdoc's mysterious notebook' he carried with him all the time. And now it was lying there, wide open.

2D's never been allowed to touch it or even peek inside and every time he asked about it, Murdoc would just rudely tell him that "it's none of his business".

His curiosity grew bigger and bigger. He took a quick look at the pages and saw that there were lyrics written inside. He picked the thing up and started turning the pages.

It was an old notebook since he remembered Murdoc having it since Noodle joined the band. Almost all the lyrics of every song they performed was written in there, from their first album, Gorillaz, to their current one, Plastic Beach.

A wave of nostalgia hit him as he read the lyrics of the first songs they produced together. Russell at the percussion, Noodle with her guitar, Murdoc with his bass and him singing, sometimes playing the piano. Good old times. But now everything was grey and sad since Noodle and Russel were gone.

Before he put the old thing back, there was one last thing 2D needed to look for. Murdoc told him the album was almost finished but the bluenette didn't know if he could trust that man's word anymore. At least now he could check. He turned the pages quickly until he got to most recent writings. At least it wasn't a lie, they really were almost finished. There were only three songs he didn't recognize. The first two were called Cloud Of Unknowing and Pirate Jet. Like every other song in this notebook, a printed partition for each of them was neatly folded inside.

But the third one was different.

The writing was a lot messier, a lot more hesitant. They were smudges all over the page and words and whole sentences were crossed out. Even the title had been changed multiple times apparently.

He tried to read the last visible one. On Melancholy Hill, he said out loud.

One thing bothered him, there was no partition, no music to it. 2D turned the notebook around but he found nothing. It was just lyrics. The bluenette found it weird since not a single song had been left aside, every one of them had even just a little tune attached to them, except this one.

And the lyrics were weird too. They seemed so sweet and... innocent. Quite the opposite of Murdoc actually.

2D already had some thoughts about the song Broken but this one just brings up more questions.

Did Murdoc really write this ? He couldn't believe it. The Satanist wasn't really the type of guy who would talk, even less write a song about his feelings.   
But they were alone on this island, so except if Cyborg started to become more Human than Machine, Murdoc was the only one who could have written this.

2D was lost in his thoughts when footsteps coming from the hall brought him back to reality. He quickly shut the notebook and put it back where he found it before jumping under the covers, pretending to sleep.  
He tried to lay as still as he could as he heard the door creaking. He held his breath until the door closed again. He waited in the absolute silence until he was sure it was safe to move.

After a minute of close listening, he shifted into a more comfortable position. He was now on his back, his pitch black eyes staring at the ceiling. Some questions were still stuck in his mind.

As he said earlier, Murdoc wasn't the one to talk feelings... so he had a motivation to do so. Maybe a person? This is clearly addressed to someone. Maybe 2D was wrong, Murdoc had feelings.   
He had no idea who, but someone out there made him write this. Someone made Murdoc Fucking Niccals write about  _love._

 

**Love.**

 

Murdoc was in **_love_**.

2D pushed these thoughts to the back of his head, not because it weirded him out, no, he didn't want to think about it because it hurt him. Yes, 2D admired Murdoc, but something inside his head told him that wasn't all he was feeling about the other man.

No, stop. He didn't want to think about it, not now anyway.

And after long and torturing minutes of twisting and turning, 2D finally fell asleep, still troubled.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what did you think of the chapter ? Should I write more or not ? (you can tell me if it's shit, I won't be mad XD)
> 
> Also, sorry if they are any mistakes or mispellings, none of us are perfect in English --'  
> but we're doing our best to make it clear and enjoyble to read ^^
> 
> And I also want to apologize for the fact that I probably gonna disappear again for a while cuz of work and all that stuff :'(
> 
> (I'm really sorry ;-;)


	4. Sunbeam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey !
> 
> So yeah, I'm back apparently XD
> 
> I'm sorry for being so slow updating but a fuck ton of stuff happened :/
> 
> Well, enjoy anyway !

2D woke up when the first sunbeams hit his face. He turned around and hid his head under the blankets, mourning. Suddenly, he felt a cold hand on his uncovered leg. Out of reflex, he immediately jumped away from the unknown figure, falling from the couch in the process. It was Cyborg.  
"It" (he just couldn't call this thing a "she") was holding a plate with sandwiches and a glass of water. The singer took it gratefully, his stomach already grumbling.  
Cyborg stood still waiting for him to finish his meal before playing a pre-recorded message.

"Here, bring that to him. Oh, and when he's done, tell him to move his ass to the recording room. Now get out of my face !"

2D smiled a little. Even if his voice was still a bit groggy, He loved to sing. He loved it when Murdoc praised him after a recording session.  
He drowned the glass of water with some pills and left the room.

  
*

  
"Ah, yer finally here ! Took ya long enough ! Everything's ready, just sit down and get ready", Murdoc yelled from the storage room.

2D just sat on the stool near the microphone and waited for instructions. He was spinning around on his chair humming when Murdoc came back.

"Ya think ya can do it?"

2D just nodded and they started the recording session. They were only at the second try when Murdoc was already giving up. 2D singing wasn't the worst but it clearly wasn't good enough.

" 'k, let's take a break...", he sighed, taking his headset off.

"Um... How did I do...?", 2D asked nervously.

The bluenette knew he hadn't fully recovered yet and his throat still hurt because he forced himself.

"Ya sound like a dead frog ! I can't put that in the Album !", Murdoc mumbled angrily.

2D knew it was going to come, but he still felt disappointed. He always claimed he was more than just a voice for the band, but he always got put down. He was still a human being after all, with a heart and a soul (that could be easily broken in his case). It was silly to be sad over something that stupid.

"We'll record it again next week, make sure until then yer not a shitty as today !", he shouted as a walked out of the room.

The door slammed and the room went silent. 2D sighed. He turned around to face his keyboard and slammed his face on it. A horrible sound came out of the speakers as the notes were played at the same time in an absurd way.  
The room went silent again and 2D tilted his head up. It's been quite some time since the last time he played something for himself. He slowly started to press random keys, humming quietly.  
At first, the tune was messy and 2D cringed a bit every time he hit the wrong note, but then it became more smooth and fluent. He tried to remember the lyrics he read as he played, adjusting the music to it. He was softly singing along to it now, voice low to not hurt himself even more.  
2D was happy like that. He was in his own little bubble: no whale, no death, no stress and no Murdoc. Moments like that were rare recently.

"How do you know those lyrics ?!"

2D jumped at that, he hadn't heard the other man coming back. Murdoc was standing in the doorframe and he looked pretty angry (and a tiny bit confused too).

"I-I can explain !", he started panicking.

"Who allowed ya to touch my stuff ?!", he yelled stepping dangerously closer.

"I-I only opened your notebook, nothin' else I swear ! It's just...", he paused.

Murdoc wasn't moving, patiently waiting for him to explain himself. The look on his face scared 2D tho so he quickly continued.

"It's just that I always wanted to look inside and I really liked those lyrics and I kind of couldn' take my eyes away pleasedon'hurtme !", he rambled, practically squeezing the last words out of his throat.

There was a really long and awkward silence.

"... Ya like them...?"

"W-what ?"

"The lyrics, ya really like them ?"

"Y-yeah, I think they're really sweet..."

"Hhm"

Murdoc took a seat in front of him and waited for him to do the same. 2D was just dumbfounded. The bassist wasn't beating him ? Not even a smack on the head ? Seeing the other man so calm and composed made him even more nervous.  
Murdoc was unpredictable and 2D had to be very careful around him.

He sat down quietly watching the green man's every move.

"I heard ya play"

With that, 2D understood that it was an invitation to show him what he's been playing.  
And so he did, trying to remember the order of the notes he had pressed to form that new melody. He closed his eyes as he started to sing to it. Of course, he went easy on his voice, breathing out the words more than really singing them but Murdoc didn't say anything about it as he was writing something down.

2D kept playing until there were no lyrics left to sing. He slowly stopped the melody and waited for Murdoc's reaction.  
The other man was still caught in his thoughts, furiously noting down in his notebook. 2D liked seeing him like that, concentrated and focused. He always had this look when he was playing, the bluenette knew since he used to watch him during record sessions. But he couldn't really do it anymore since the Windmill crashed, so it warmed his heart to be able to see hidden facets of the other man sometimes.

2D snapped back to reality when he noticed a cast on Murdoc's hand.

"What's that ?", he pointed out.

The satanist slowly looked up first and then back at his hand, grumbling. "Nothin' "

"What happened ?", he insisted. Whatever it was, it looked serious and he wanted to help despite knowing it would piss off the other man.

"I accidentally cut my hand 'k ? Drop it now."

2D knew it was a lie, it definitely looked worse than a simple cut but he didn't push further. Murdoc was calm today and he really didn't want to ruin the moment.

"Hmm... Still needs some fixes but it sounds good altogether"

"Really ?"

"Of course it does, ya have a talent for that. That's why yer my frontman after all", he said without even looking up.

Murdoc was too focused on his notebook to notice that he just complimented the bluenette. 2D, on the other hand, was completely baffled. It's the first time Murdoc gave him a heartfelt compliment being completely sober. He couldn't help but smile like an idiot.

Suddenly, Murdoc abruptly stood up and started leaving.

"W-where are ya goin' ?"

  
"Need to type this down on the computer"

"W-what 'bout me ?"

"Do whatever ya want as long as ya don' disturb me !"

And so he left. 2D just sat there and stared at the door. He was really confused now. He wondered what went through the other man's head sometimes.

He sighed and pushed himself away from the keyboard. He went out of the recording room and walked slowly towards the kitchen. He grabbed a teapot and a cup and made himself some peppermint tea.  
As he waited for the water to boil, he watched out the window. The sun was still pretty high in the sky. He admired the horizon for a moment before deciding to go out. He wanted to feel to feel the wind blowing and the warmth of the sunlight on his skin again.

He quickly grabbed his cup and stepped out of the plastic villa he's been trapped in for a while now.  
It wasn't as hot as he thought but he didn't really care. His tea would keep him warm. He didn't think it would be that frisky through, with the sun and all, but it seemed logical since he was in the middle of the ocean. The island was so far away that there wasn't even a single seagull. The only animals living here were hiding under the surface of the water.  
He sighed as he watched the horizon. He was puzzled. He wanted to leave and stay at the same time. He was angry at Murdoc but mostly at himself. How did all of this happen ? Why did he let it happen? Where are Noodle and Russel ? Murdoc said they were alive... but what are they doing ? Do they even know what's been going on here for almost two years now ?  
2D felt his head throbbing. He wasn't used to thinking that much, well, he usually didn't need to. He had his family, his friends, his bandmates and music and it was all he ever needed. Why asking existential questions all the time if you could just enjoy your life ?

People called him stupid all the time but it didn't reach him anymore. Yes, his multiple accidents deteriorated his mental capabilities but he liked keeping his life simple so it didn't really matter.  
But now that his family, friends and bandmates were gone, he began to think again.  
He knew it was all Murdoc's fault, that it could all have been avoided, but he wasn't really mad at him. He just can't be mad at him and he hates it because he knows exactly why. He knows the reason why he always forgives him.  
2D's tea was now cold without haven taken a sip from it. He sighed again and put down the cup in the sand. The sun was slowly sinking down into the water. He forgot that it was already winter so, yeah, the sun goes down very early. He watched it disappear, just enjoying the present moment.

  
*

  
Murdoc just finished working on the song when looked at the clock: 5 pm. It must have been around 1 pm when they recorded so he's been sitting in front of the computer for four hours straight.  
He yawned as he stretched his stiff limbs. At least now it was done, well, almost. It just missed that idiot's singing and the album would be finished.

Murdoc glanced out of the window. The sun looked like an orange floating in the ocean.

He notified Cyborg to go get 2D as he still stood at the window since he had no idea where that imbecile was hiding. That's when he noticed him sitting in the sand on the beach. He calmly stared at him wondering what the bluenette was thinking about.  
He watched him when Cyborg approached him and he quietly followed her inside. He waited until he heard his door open to turn around.

"Everything okay ?", 2D asked.

"Yep"

He didn't say anything else, he didn't know what else there was to say. He didn't even know why he commanded the dullard back inside instead of letting him freeze outside in the cold.

"Ya cold ?", the question slipped out of him before he could stop it.

"Yeah, a bit. Forgot it was winter"

Murdoc wanted to laugh at him and call him names for being so dumb, but he refrained. He needed to be at least a little bit nice to him from time to time. He reminded himself that 2D didn't ask to be in this situation and he never deserved all the suffering he's been through. But Murdoc will probably never admit why he's been like this to 2D and only to 2D.

He grabbed his jacket and threw it in the bluenettes direction. "Here, take this"

2D caught it and gave him a confused look. "Why're ya givin' me this?"

"Yer voice sounds already shitty enough mate, don' need ya to catch a cold"

The singer smiled briefly before quickly putting it on. He nuzzled in it a bit to warm himself up before breathing out a quiet 'thank you'.  
Murdoc was about to leave the room when he remembered something.

"By the way, pack yer stuff. Yer movin' ", 2D looked panicked, "Calm down, I set up a room for ya. Yer not going back down"

The bluenette was confused. "But, didn' ya say it was one of the only rooms with a lock...?"

"Yeah, I know, but since yer stayin' up here it's better if ya have yer own room", he explained, "But Cyborg will be watching ya 24/7 so don' even think 'bout escaping again!"

"... Why yer doing all of this?"

"Whatcha mean?"

This was a dangerous situation. 2D started to ask questions again and this conversation surely won't end well like always. But this time, the question was personal and Murdoc's always got very aggressive when it touched him intimately.

"I mean, first yer yelling at me, hitting me and calling me names but now yer nice to me... I don' understand..."

He needed to calm down, control himself. He had to stop this before he said something he would regret. But everyone knows that Murdoc isn't the type to lay low, especially when he's pissed.

The satanist laughed maniacally. "Ohoho, I see. Ya've been using yer little stupid head of yours for once, but ya got it all wrong mate. Ya think I care 'bout ya ? Don' make me laugh. I'm only doing this so we can finally get that fucking album done, got it ? I don' fucking need yer 'emotionally unstable pregnant woman mood' right now so yer gonna pack yer stuff and get out of my fucking room !", he yelled.

And there it was, the line he wasn't supposed to cross. He never told 2D that he hated him (maybe because it wasn't true), he just always made him think so. But from the look on the bluenette's face, a true mix of a shocked and sad expression he's never seen before, he could tell he really blew it big this time between them.  
2D remained silent for a moment before quickly taking his blanket, pillow and running out the door.  
Murdoc felt guilty again. Why was he so mean to him ? He didn't really know. It was like an urge. He needed to tease or insult 2D all the time, he couldn't help it. But this time he went too far and said stuff he didn't even mean.

 

Well, now he was gone, everything was gone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope yall still enjoy the story :')  
> (jk everyone probably already abandoned it XD)
> 
> Should I continue ? Still have many ideas to write down (it's gonna be a reeeaaally slow burn lol)
> 
> Thank you for all the comments and kudos btw <3  
> I'm happy to see people enjoying my writing !


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